


Pick up, Nell

by theodoracrains



Category: The Haunting of Hill House (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, also maybe gay luke later, bent neck lady is just a regular ghost, maybe bi nell with female oc in the future who knows, nell crain deserves better, nell is alive au lol, nell isn't the bent neck lady, theo crain catches # feelings, theo saves nell, trish is an angel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-13 05:52:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16886853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theodoracrains/pseuds/theodoracrains
Summary: AU where Theo calls Nell before she goes into the house and saves her





	Pick up, Nell

Theo’s gloved hands hovered over her phone, over the call button next to Nell’s name. Though she had a tough exterior, she was desperate to apologise and make up with Nell after their fight in LA because she never liked fighting with her sisters, they were all she had since she didn’t really get on with Steven, and Luke was still in rehab. But to apologise to Nell would mean she was right and Theo wanted Nell to be fully aware that she wasn’t just some psychic accessory that Nell could use when she pleased. 

She sighed as she swiped off Nell’s number and onto Trish’s. Trish was her escape in times like this. Theo felt bad because it felt like she was using her, when in reality Theo was scared. She was scared because when she touched Trish for the first time in that club without her gloves she couldn’t get enough, she didn’t even feel trauma for the first time in her life. She felt love and she genuinely saw a future with Trish. And that fucking scared her. 

Trish had encouraged Theo to talk more to her when they were together, and though Theo wasn’t the biggest fan of this, she used it as an opportunity to get advice from someone who wasn’t a Crain on the whole Nell situation.

“Call her, Theo, you never know… she might need it.” Trish said as she laid her head on Theo’s pillow.

“I know. But it’s not that simple. It never is with Nell. I’ll call her and I can guarantee she’ll ask me to touch the… never mind. You know what, it doesn’t matter. Forget it, I’ll deal with it. Don’t worry.” Theo sighed as she put her gloves back on, earning a subtle huff from Trish.

Trish knew what Theo putting the gloves on meant, it was her cue to leave. She got up and began putting her clothes back on, making her way to the door of Shirley’s guest house. The same way she had done for weeks since their first encounter.

Theo noticed this and after a while of thinking, she decided to go against the usual routine of hers and Trish’s endeavours.

“Wait, Trish,” Theo hesitated. “Stay. Please.” 

While this request came as a surprise to Trish because of Theo’s obvious issues with intimacy, she wasn’t going to deny her of what she wanted.

For the first time, Theo just let Trish be there for her. Whether she knew what Theo was dealing with or not, she had grown fond of Theo in the small amount of time they’d spent together over the few weeks since the first night they met in the club. 

After a while, they fell asleep. Trish went to leave Theo to sleep peacefully, hoping to sneak out unnoticed but Theo was having none of it.

“Trish, I meant what I said. Stay with me. Until morning, please?” Theo pleaded, with a slight slur in her words due to her sleepy state. 

Once again, Trish wasn’t about to oppose Theo’s request and so she settled beneath Theo’s covers, holding her close. It was a small gesture from Trish but Theo could feel everything and could see her future with Trish again. Sending impulses around her body as if she was being shocked by electricity. It was equal parts pleasure and pain to Theo. She couldn’t get enough yet she wanted nothing more than for it to stop.

She jolted awake at 3:00 am with an instinct to call Nell. Despite her earlier doubts about it, she knew that she had no time to waste and it was necessary to call Nell before something happened.

She reached for her phone, ignoring Trish’s groans because of her abrupt awakening. She still had Nell on speed dial, regardless of the last time they talked. 

“Pick up Nell, come on please pick up” Theo muttered as the dial tone rang, every ring feeling like hours.

“…Hello?” Nell whispered into the phone.

“Nellie! Thank god, I thought…I thought something bad was gonna happen to you. Where are you? We need to talk” Theo let out a sigh of relief.

“I’m…I’m at the house Theo” Nell admitted.

“What the fuck Nellie? Why are you back there?" Theo almost yelled as frustration took over her.

"Its.. its the Bent Neck Lady... she's back. She...she told me to come. Shirley and Steve, they would never believe me" Nell whispered once again with a shaky voice.

Theo paled at this, remembering Nell's previous encounters with the Bent Neck Lady from when she was younger. The countless times Nell woke Theo up with the bloodcurdling screams, or when Nell would come into Theo's room to sleep when she was scared. All because of the Bent Neck Lady.

"I believe you, Nell. I’m coming to get you. Stay put and don’t even think about going inside.” Theo said as calmly as possible as she began gathering her keys to her car, not even bothering to change and dragging Trish along with her.

She wasted no time in speeding out of Shirley’s driveway and straight to that goddamn house. She wasn’t about to let the house take Nellie away like it did their mother. No way.

She made sure to stay on the phone to Nell for the entire hour journey, making sure she didn’t go in the house. Every so often engaging in small talk with Nell in order to keep her there with her. 

As she finally approached the looming iron gates, she noticed Nell’s car within the grounds and immediately opened the car door after coming to an abrupt stop, leaving the car running with Trish still inside.

While Trish was still in a dazed and confused state she vaguely remembered what little information Theo had given her about the house, and she recognised that this was a drastically serious situation and that Nell must be in serious danger for Theo to speak to her again after their spat in LA.

In a frantic rush, Theo opened Nell's car door and dragged her out, pulling her into a desperate embrace, letting out all of the pent-up emotions they had kept for the past few months since the LA incident. Love, rage, and sadness all coming out in one single embrace. Theo was most definitely not a hugger but the second she touched Nell's arm to drag her out of the car and felt nothing, she knew that they both needed this. 

For the first time since Arthur's death, Nell finally felt something other than anger and heartache. There was an unspoken agreement that whatever animosity existed between the two of them because of LA had dissipated the second Theo called Nell. They no longer resented one another for reasons beyond their control.


End file.
